How Do You Say Goodbye?
A love letter that has been hard to send.
Dear lovely human,
I wrote this letter to you in June. And then couldn’t bring myself to send it.
And yet here we sit, poised at the edge of the year— a time of endings and beginnings— and the poetry of the moment took over and gave courage where there was resistance.
When we began this journey of sacred storytelling, none of us could have imagined the world we are living in now — or how urgently we would need places to practice staying in relationship with our own creative life force, with the voice of the Earth, and with one another.
Once upon a time — in 2005 —
I was standing at the edge of a cliff on the Lost Coast of California, looking out over the open ocean, praying for guidance about how to be woven into the times we are in… and how to find my right livelihood.
I had just recovered from cancer, and with it, the very real threat of losing my voice as doctors cut across my larynx. Standing there, the gift of voice was not a concept— it was realized.
I had also just said goodbye to an easeful, sensible life — a good job, a home, people I loved — because something else was calling, even though I didn’t yet know what it was.
So as I stood at the edge of that cliff in Northern California— I prayed.
And the answer came simply:
You know nothing. Take long walks. Listen.
For nine days and nine nights, I did just that.
On the tenth day, walking through the woods, I heard a whale singing.
That moment changed my life.
I won’t tell that whole story here — I’ll be sharing it more fully in the months ahead — but I will say this: when I organized my life around listening deeply, around devotion to story as something alive and intelligent, something began to move through me.
And in time, The School for Sacred Storytelling emerged.
There was no business plan. no strategy. I wasn’t doing it for the money.
I was in it for the passion.
Together, we explored story not just as craft, but as relationship — to our lives, our ancestors, the land, the unseen world, and to one another. In our deep listening, the mysteries of sacred storytelling continued to reveal as we discovered that storytelling is not only something we do, but something we are.
Over the years, this sanctuary grew beyond anything I could have imagined:
teachers, elders, artists, mythologists, healers, singers, and storytellers from around the world weaving their wisdom together; students showing up with courage, vulnerability, and a willingness to engage storytelling as a healing art.
Programs were born. Story ceremonies were created. Community formed. And the practitioners of story showed me how it could be used as they carried the storytellers prayer into parliament, as they engaged the tools in classrooms with children, and around their tables. People have now been weaving in and out of the community since 2017, and has stayed together (there are many group of students who meet in class still practice together!)
And again and again, I was reminded that story is a constellation — many different threads woven together create a strong tapestry of life.
It has been an honor, a wild ride, and one of the great privileges of my life to walk this road with you.
And now, I find myself standing at the edge of another cliff.
I’ve walked as far as I can down this particular road playing this particular role.
My devotion to the art and craft of Sacred Storytelling is stronger than ever — but my role in the story is changing.
For the past years, I have held not only the role of teacher and guide, but also manager, administrator, and at times web designer, and steward of a growing organization that has supported many staff and dozens of teachers. This, too, has been a profound teacher.
The next story cam’t begin until this story ends.
And the story that called me first — the one that arrived through listening, through trees and the song of whales, through the deep intelligence of the living world — is calling again.
It is time for me to transform my role at The School for Sacred Storytelling, so that I may bring my full attention to completing The Whale Dreamer and launching The Whale Dreamer Council — a gathering place for storytellers, dreamers, and ocean guardians devoted to protecting life and surfacing the dream of our future.
One of the key themes of the book is the death of the power of one myth, and the rise of the power of the collective narrative.
The School for Sacred Storytelling will continue — to be stewarded, partnered with, and guided in a way that honors its lineage, its community, and its purpose as a sanctuary for remembering our birthright as storytellers.
The Heroine’s Journey will be taught by Amy Wilson
Wisdom Stories will be taught by yours truly.
The Master Teacher Library & Monthly Membership will continue to have 2 live sessions a month.
Mark Smith & I are getting ready to publish The Little Book of Change.
And we have a gathering of guest teachers and an epic new program and a court called Opening Your Story that is ready to emerge…. as soon as we are ready.
So I am listening.
Listening for the person, team, or organization who feels the fire to tend this space —
and carry it forward in service to these times.
If you feel called into that inquiry — whether as a potential steward, partner, or ally — I welcome you to reach out.
You can email me at leah@leahlamb.com.
When we began this journey, none of us could have imagined the world we are living in now — or how urgently we would need places to practice staying in relationship with our own creative life force, with the voice of the Earth, and with one another.
Humans are not bad for the planet.
Many have simply forgotten our role as guardians.
And when we hear the right story — we remember.
Thank you for being part of this big story.
For walking the old story with me.
And for standing at the threshold of the new.
I look forward to sharing the next chapter with you.
So how to say goodbye? With love. With gratitude. With admiration and appreciation.
And why say goodbye when you can ahui ho! (until we meet again).
With gratitude and love,
Leah
May your prayers be answered.
May your gifts be received.
May your story come alive with passion.
And may you have the courage to end one chapter… so the next one can begin.
Thank you for all that you gift to the world. May your continuing path be blessed. Happy new year!
I love your process of understanding , processing, becoming. 🩷 🐋🐋🐋